What are Hallucinogenic Mushrooms?

Mushrooms, a kind of fungus, come in many varieties. From those on a
pizza to those in spaghetti sauce, mushrooms enhance our cuisine and
flavor our lives. But not all mushrooms are so harmless. Some contain
toxic and/or hallucinogenic compounds. Hallucinogens are substances that
alter or produce false perceptions of sight, sound, taste, smell or
touch. Some toxic substances in mushrooms can cause severe illness and
even death. Most hallucinogenic substances, including synthetic ones such
as LSD, are illegal.

Historical Background

The hallucinogenic properties of certain mushrooms have been known for
centuries. The discovery of mushroom sculptures in ancient Central and
South American ruins suggests that hallucinogenic mushrooms were used by
native people during religious ceremonies. The Aztecs used the term
"teonanacatl" meaning "flesh of the gods" to describe hallucinogenic
mushrooms. Historians have proposed that Aztec spiritual leaders used
these hallucinogens to induce an altered state of consciousness that they
believed would allow them to communicate with their gods and other
spirits.

2. Amanita muscaria

The Amanita muscaria mushroom is also known as "fly agaric" because
of its ability to attract and kill flies. The Amanita muscaria
does not contain psilocybin or psilocin. Rather, the hallucinogenic
chemicals this mushroom contain are muscimol and ibotenic acid.

The fly agaric is related to other deadly mushrooms: the Amanita
virosa (the "Destroying Angel"); Amanita verna and Amanita
phalloides (the
"Death Cap"). These deadly mushrooms contain toxins
that destroy cells in the liver and kidneys. Five to 24 hours after eating
one of these toxic mushrooms people may become sick with nausea and
stomach problems. Later, severe liver and kidney damage may occur.

Effects on Behavior

Psilocybin/Psilocin Mushrooms Both psilocybin and psyilocin
produce yawning, inability to concentrate, restlessness, increased heart
rate, and hallucinations
(visual and auditory). These symptoms may appear 30 to 60 minutes
after the mushroom is eaten and can last about four hours.

Amanita muscariaAmanita muscaria contains
muscimol that produces feelings of euphoria, hallucinations, muscle jerks,
drowsiness, sweating, pupil dilation, and increased body temperature.
Symptoms appear 30 to 90 minutes after eating this mushroom and are most
intense after two or three hours. People who eat these mushrooms usually
fall into a deep sleep. Some people describe the effects of eating
Amanita muscaria as similar to being intoxicated by
alcohol.

Effects on the Nervous System

The chemical structure of psilocybin and psilocin is similar to the
neurotransmitter called serotonin. In fact,
the primary effect of
psilocin is on the receptors for serotonin. There is also evidence that
psilocybin reduces the reuptake of serotonin by neurons in the brain
allowing this neurotransmitter more time to act in the synapse.

Muscimol and ibotenic acid from the Amanita muscaria appear to act
on the GABA neurotransmitter system. Muscimol activates GABA receptors on
neurons. The GABA neurotransmitter system is one of the brain's major
inhibitory systems. Therefore, muscimol acts to inhibit the
activity of neurons in
the brain.

CAUTION

Picking and consuming
mushrooms can be a dangerous activity! Identification of hallucinogenic
mushrooms can be difficult because they look similar to toxic, deadly
mushrooms. It is also possible that mushrooms bought from "street
dealers" may be contaminated with drugs such as LSD or PCP. The images
used on this web page are NOT meant to be used for mushroom identification
purposes.

Did you
know?

In 1998 in the United States, 9,839 cases of mushroom poisoning were
reported by poison centers. Approximately 69% of these cases (6,796
cases) were children under the age of 6 years. (Statistic
from Litovitz et al., Amer. J. Emerg. Medicine, 17:435-487, 1999.)

They said it!

"All mushrooms are
edible,
but some only once."--
Croatian Proverb

For references and
more information about hallucinogenic mushrooms, see:

Benjamin, D.R., Mushrooms: Poisons and Panaceas. A Handbook for
Naturalists, Mycologists and Physicians, New York: Freeman and Co.,
1995.